


Convivencia

by Avalon



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2017-12-23 13:29:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avalon/pseuds/Avalon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Interconnecting drabbles on the relationship of Elissa Cousland and Zevran Arainai, while Elissa attempts to stop the Blight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

"I told you Elissa, did I not? Helping people does nothing but waste our time and put us in unnecessary danger,” Morrigan drawled.

"I wish I were not so surprised," Leliana sighed.

Elissa tilted her head as she observed him, while her dog, Wrex, sniffed around the elf's body. Morrigan took Elissa's silence as an invitation to speak.

"Let us kill him and be done with it."

"Hmm… No I don't think so," Elissa said, taking her eyes off the elf to look to her companions.

Morrigan raised her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, we might as well see who sent him. There's no reason to waste an opportunity to get more information," Elissa explained.

Leliana nodded in agreement. "And if he proves unable to provide anything useful…" She pulled her finger across her throat, her expression serious.

Elissa had to hide her grin at the childish gesture, determined to remain stoic should the assassin wake.

A groan from the elf alerted the party to his rise from unconsciousness. He grasped the back of his head, rolling over onto his stomach as he gaged the severeness of his injuries.

"Oh," he groaned, looking at his bloodied hand before looking up to the three women who stood over him. "I rather thought I would wake up dead, or not wake up at all as the case may be," he spoke. His accent was one Elissa had never heard save from Fergus' wife. Hearing a deeper voice speak the same way made Elissa understand why Fergus was so enticed by his wife.

"But I see you haven't killed me yet," he added, sounding disappointed.

"That could be easily rectified," Elissa said, crossing her arms.

"Of that, I have no doubt," the elf drawled, before adding, "You are most skilled," begrudgingly. "If you haven't killed me, however, you must have kept me alive for some purpose, yes?" He kept his gaze on Elissa.

"I'm sure you know exactly what has kept you alive, Elf," Morrigan admonished.

The elf turned his gaze to the witch, his expression now amused and sly."Oh, you're rather an aggressive little minx, aren't you?"

Morrigan simply raised her brow and looked to Elissa. "Hurry, so I may dispose of him."

"If it's questions you're planning on asking me, let me save you a little time and get right to the point," the elf continued on, unfazed by Morrigan's remark.

Zevran, as the elf called himself, explained of his role in a grandeur plot against Elissa and Alistair. As he spoke, Elissa was surprised at his nonchalant demeanor, and his lack of loyalty to his employer. When asked, Zevran simply explained that he wasn't actually the one being paid, and his life was forfeit, the puzzle that was this man became clearer.

Leliana soon interrupted Zevran's speech, letting them know of her own knowledge of the Crows. In all honesty, Elissa wasn't impressed with such an organization. She may have been trained as a rogue, but she was not a seasoned warrior; A professional organization could have taken her out easily, had they seen fit to send their best. However, she did not question it. Luck was on her side, and she would not dare jinx it.

"Perhaps I could use someone of your skill set on my journey," Elissa finally announced. 

Morrigan looked astounded. "A wise choice," Leliana agreed.

"I do have many skills," Zevran said, now with more vigor. The prospect of living seemed to heighten his tone. "From picking locks, to stealth, and I am rather skilled with daggers. I could also warn you should the Crows attempt something more… sophisticated now that my attempts have failed."

Elissa had not thought the Crows would attempt a second attack, as foolish as that may sound. Keeping this elf around could prove very useful indeed.

The elf began to stand slowly, as to not rouse suspicion from his captors. He looked to Elissa, his demeanor changing into one of more confidence."I could also stand around and look pretty if you prefer," he gave her a once over, making Elissa feel exposed despite her armor. "Warm your bed. Fend off unwanted suitors, no?"

"I uh," Elissa began, unsure of how to reply. Leliana's giggle did not go unheard.

"Those _services_ won't be needed," Elissa asserted. "Though I admit your knowledge of how these Crows operate would be most useful."

"Excellent. Then I hereby pledge my loyalty to you until such a time as you choice to release me from it. I am your man, without reservation. This I solemnly swear." The elf's voice was sincere, and more serious than Elissa had heard him speak thus far. He bowed in front of her, before grinning at the three women before him.

"Now, shall we go?" He asked.

"I would examine your food and drink far more closely from now on, were I you," Morrigan said carefully, unsure of why Elissa would even consider adding such a character to their party. Elissa began to walk back towards camp, her companions following.

"That's excellent advice for anyone," Zevran quipped, falling into step with Elissa as if he wasn't set out to kill her 20 minutes ago.

Elissa attempted not to smile at the thought of Allistar's outrage when she arrived back at camp. She certainly had a knack of finding strays everywhere they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story has to start somewhere, and thus starts rather boring. I wanted to start it out naturally, so hopefully this is a nice, albeit simplistic introduction.


	2. Unpredictable

"Hey! Up here!" Elissa shouted, waving her arms as her companions Zevran, Allistar, and Morrigan walked along the forrest clearing below.

Elissa was perched up on one of the highest branches of a large tree, looking out across the sea of leaves of the Brecilian Forest. Not only was the view extremely helpful, it was breathtaking. She could see the distinct landmarks of nearby villages, as well the smoke from their campfire a few paces back.

The party had decided to venture the thick Brecilian Forest to find the elusive Dalish. Allistar wasn't too pleased, especially after hearing that Arl Eamon was sick, but Elissa had insisted. Elissa's memories of Redcliffe had never been pleasant, save for a few good meals. The forest was a place she had scarcely been, but the terrain excited her.

"Dare I ask what you're doing up there?" Morrigan asked, falling into her usual stance of disapproval.

"Finding great pleasure in the view," Elissa called back merrily.

Morrigan pursed her lips, though Elissa knew the witch was biting back a smile. The more she and Morrigan spent time together, they found a mutual respect. Elissa felt relieved at the friendship. It was nice to have someone to talk to, especially one not prone to lie to you.

"I think I speak for all of us, when I say that we three are doing much of the same, dear Warden."

Elissa looked at the source of the remark, not hiding her smirk. After the first week of Zevran's flattery, she found that indulging the remarks did her more good than discouraging him. If nothing else, her playful banter with the assassin proved a delightful distraction.

"I am happy to oblige." Elissa hugged the tree trunk with one arm, while bowing dramatically at her companions below.

"What exactly are you doing up there?" Allistar questioned, covering his eyes with his hand as he looked up at the sun illuminated branches.

Elissa looked back out over the trees. "I'm trying to navigate our way through the forest."

"And are you having much luck with that?"

"Not particularly, no," she replied with a merry tone.

Morrigan had begun to walk slowly around the clearing, taking in their surroundings as Elissa spoke. "Perhaps we should make camp here for the night," Morrigan offered.

An audible thump was heard behind Alistair, who, at the sound, jumped and spun around with a yelp.

"It seems like a safe enough place for the night," Leliana agreed, not seeming at all phased by her drop from the tree.

"Where the bloody hell did you come from?" Alistair demanded, flushed at his easy scare.

"The tree," Leliana replied with a grin, brushing herself off.

"Where's the rest of the party?" Elissa called down.

"Sten, Wynne, and your mabari are with the dwarves' caravan,” Leliana answered. “You know, I think Sten thinks highly of Bodahn," she added, smiling.

Alistair crossed his arms and huffed in disbelief. "I highly doubt that qunari likes anything. Much less a dwarf and his enchanter son."

"Alistair!" Leliana chided, hitting the back of her hand on his shoulder. "You do not know Sten's mind, you cannot simply base your assumptions on-"

"Alright everyone!" Elissa interrupted, not wanting to hear the two argue. "Let's just make camp here. Sten and Wrex will lead the caravan here."

Leliana and Alistair nodded their understanding, while Morrigan rolled her eyes at them. Zevran leaned up against the trunk of a tree with that casual grin he normally had plastered on his face. Elissa shook her head and smiled; her party was diverse, no doubt about that.

When Elissa dropped down to their campsite, she made for her backpack that sat in the middle of the clearing while everyone pitched their tents. This excluded Morrigan, of course, as she had already found her pleasant little corner that had it's own great fire and shelter.

"So, I could not help but overhear Alistair's disproval of you destination choice," came Zevran's voice from behind her.

Elissa turned around with an amused grin, noticing the elf's lingering gaze as she stood up from her crouched position. "And?" She raised an eyebrow.

"And I am curious to why you chose the people most likely to deny your request." Zevran seemed genuinely interested.

"Perhaps it is to annoy him," Elissa offered with a lazy shrug of one of her shoulders.

Zevran's expression turned to one Elissa was used to, having seen it on her mother many an occasion: amused disbelief. Out of reflex, she huffed like an annoyed child.

"It is simply because I wish to. I have never been able to just explore the world. I figured I'd start with the place I wanted to see the most."

Zevran seemed a little surprised by her answer.

“Not the reason you were expecting?” Elissa felt accomplished in taking him off guard. With the little history Elissa what able to learn of Zevran, she had found that he was a fairly good judge of character. Most people were open books to him; A fact he often used to get close enough to deceive and kill.

The elf quickly turned his expression back into a sly grin. “No, but then you have proven yourself quite unpredictable.”

Elissa titled her head with an amused smile. “I do try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been far too long, but I never gave up on this series. I'm currently replaying Origins and it has definitely resparked my love for Zevran and Elissa, so I hope to write more of these two. There aren't enough fics of these two.


	3. A Lesson in Lockpicking

Elissa took great pride in her ability to defuse a situation with her words, and her ability to coerce information out of people. It had served her well these past few months, and gave her better results than just another slice of cake after dinner.

Her mother was not impressed with her daughter’s uncanny ability to talk her way out of studies with Aldous just to sneak off and practice fighting with Ser Gilmore, but Elissa always proved she knew the history her tutor impressed upon her.

The one thing Elissa never managed to master was picking locks. The doors around the castle had always been locked tight, and despite Elissa having keys to most of them, she wanted to know she could break in herself. She broke most of her hair pins this way, and eventually gave up on the endeavor.

A moment she is severely regretting now in Castle Redcliffe, as she stared down at the locked chest in her guest quarters. Bann Teagan had requested that Alistair and his party stay a night or two to recuperate after the battle at the castle before launching their expedition to Denerim. Personally, Elissa was not looking forward to going to Denerim. Thus far, they had managed to stay out of Howe’s and Loghain’s sight and she felt safer that way.

Sighing in frustration, she kicked the chest. It hardly moved, but she could hear something shift inside. Her curiosity was driving her mad.

“Need a hand?” An all too smug voice asked.

Elissa looked at her doorway to find Zevran leaning casually against it. She narrowed her eyes, annoyed that she didn’t hear him approach.

“How long have you been standing there?” She asked, gesturing at the door.

“Long enough to see that you have no skills with a lock. Mind if I give it a try?” As he asked the question, he walked towards her. Apparently, he wasn’t going to wait for her reply.

Elissa gestured towards the chest, and he crouched down to observe the lock.

“Tsk tsk, my lady, it is no wonder it wouldn’t open. I can see the marks from your pin. You are not soft with your touch,” he scolded, looking up at her with that sly grin of his.

“It’s a chest,” Elissa retorted. She thought it best to ignore his double meaning, as she wasn’t in the mood for a witty repartee.

“Come, watch.” He gestured for her to kneel next to him. Elissa did so, slowly, as she wondered exactly what he was playing at.

He took two metal picks from his belt and slid them into the lock. Elissa watched his hands, hoping to gain insight.

“The idea is to coax the lock into opening. Blunt force only breaks your pick,” he explained quietly, barely moving his hands. Elissa could see the light twitching of his fingertips as he tested the tumblers within. After a moment an affirming click was heard, and the lock opened.

“Tarán!” He exclaimed smugly, taking his picks out and lifting open the top of the chest. “See? It is easy if you go slow.” He looked towards her, with a sly grin.

Elissa rolled her eyes, but smiled in amusement.

“Any other euphemisms you’d like to get out of your system?”

Zevran looked thoughtful for a moment before deciding. “No. I shall save what I have for another night.”

He stood up and held out a hand to help Elissa up, which she accepted. As she made to take her hand back after standing up he tightened his grasp and brought her hand to his lips. He didn’t break eye contact with her, and the heated gaze made Elissa blush.

“Goodnight, Warden,” he said with a smirk before releasing her hand.

“Goodnight, Assassin,” she replied.


	4. Flirtations & First Kisses

“I trust your stay at the castle has been most comfortable, My Lady.”

Ser Perth smiled at Elissa from his seat at Eamond’s dinner table. He sat next to the warden as they enjoyed the breakfast Arl Eamon had prepared for her party before they traveled to Denerim.

“Very much so,” Elissa nodded.  “I didn’t realize how much I missed sleeping in a bed.”

Ser Perth chucked as he cut into this meal. “I often feel the same after a long journey away from Redcliffe.”

“I can’t imagine that you’re away from the castle much.” Elissa commented, before taking bite of her breakfast.

“This is true,” Ser Perth sighed in false melancholy. “I can’t say I’ve had as many adventures as you’ve had these past few months. I find myself in awe your ability to keep so carefree during these times.” 

Elissa couldn’t help the blush that warmed her cheeks at Ser Perth’s compliment. “You flatter me, Ser Perth,” she replied teasingly.

“A woman such as yourself deserves such praise,” was his swift reply.

Elissa bit her lip to stop the grin that threatened to spread across her face. She hadn’t flirted like this since Ser Gilmore’s training sessions back in Highever, and she had missed it. The coy words coming from a rather handsome knight gave Elissa an ego boost. She knew she looked like something the cat dragged in the first time she spoke to Ser Perth, yet he seemed unaware and even insisted on calling her “my lady”. 

It was all very cute.

After breakfast Ser Perth suggested he take her on a tour of the castle, but Elissa declined. She had only a few hours left before her party started towards Denerim and she wanted to spend that time relaxing in the bath Arl Eamon had set up in her quarters.

As she opened the door to her quarters, Elissa was met with the slight of s certain assassin lounging on her bed.

“Zevran,” she stated with a raised brow, her hand still on the handle of the door.

“Warden,” he greeted with a grin. His hands were clasped behind his head, looking very comfortable atop the bed, despite being in his leathers.  “You would not believe how insecure this castle is.” 

He gave her a once over, and Elissa felt exposed in the simple cloth dress she had been wearing around the castle. It was a nice change from the rough leather she had been wearing while they traveled, though it did little to make her feel protected.

“Clearly.” Elissa gestured to him. When he didn’t reply right away, she simply closed the door behind herself and made to her pack that sat at the foot of the bed. She was not afraid of anyone finding Zevran in her room, but she’d rather the maids not talk.

“So, are you going to explain yourself?” She asked as she rummaged for her leathers and soap.

“I see our noble knight has taken a fancy to you,” Zevran said, instead of answering her question. His voice was closer to the foot of the bed now, and when Elissa looked up she found he had switched positions so his head was near to her’s.

“Who?” Elissa asked, feigning innocence.

Zevran smiled knowingly, and it made Elissa blush. She fisted her leathers and took them out of her bag and stood up. Zevran quickly rolled over and off the bed, landing swiftly on his feet next to Elissa.

He leaned casually against the bed post. “Ser Perth,” he cooed, leaning towards her. “With his sweet words and innocent face.” His tone wasn’t resentful, but Elissa could tell he was judging her reaction to the man.

She crossed her arms, holding her leathers against her chest tightly. “I take it you don’t approve of him.”

“I do not approve of his tactics, however I found nothing to prove his intentions are… dishonorable.” He waved his hand idly at the word.

“Dishonorable?” Elissa raised an eyebrow.

Zevran tilted his head, amused at her confusion. “He wishes to bed you, and not kill you.”

Elissa laughed. “That’s good to know, however I don’t understand why you felt the need to sneak into my room and inform me of this.”

“I swore my loyalty to you,” he shrugged. He then walked past Elissa and to the vanity that sat against the wall nearest the window. “That would involve insuring your suitors were not villainous, no?” He opened a drawer idly, scanning the contents.

Elissa smirked, remembering his oath. She turned around to watch him. “I thought your oath was to ward off unwanted suitors.”

Zevran turned his head to look at her from the corner of his eye. He hummed appreciatively, closed the drawer, and turned on the ball of his foot to face her again. “I do recall saying such words.” He brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. “Had I known he was unwanted, I would have dealt with the problem sooner.”

“Perhaps you’re not as perceptive as you like to think,” Elissa shrugged.

He took a step towards her. “Or perhaps I wanted to hear the words from your lips,” he countered, his gaze dropping deliberately to her mouth.

Elissa’s smirk faded, overcome with the tension that suddenly filled the space. “What words, exactly?”

Zevran inched closer slowly, his gaze still trained on her lips. “Of what you fancy,” he drawled.

Elissa gripped her leathers tightly again, unable to calm her nerves with how he looked at her. “I fancy many things,” she retorted.

Zevran’s eyes snapped up to her’s, as he came to a stop inches from her. “Oh?” He feigned surprise.

Elissa nodded, unable to stop her own gaze from wandering across his very close face. He didn’t move his head any closer, however she could feel the gentle tug at the leathers she still had in her hands. She allowed them to be taken from her grasp and she could hear them drop to the floor beside her.

“I fancy things that are dangerous,” she began, her voice coming out low and more quiet than she intended. 

Zevran hummed in approval, his hands lightly tracing up the bodice of her dress before resting on her shoulders and neck. Elissa’s mouth parted as she took a shaky breath, unable to stop the goosebumps that spread across her skin. Her own hands drifted up his chest and grasped onto the leather belts that crossed over his chest.

“And exciting,” she murmured. She tugged on the belts, finally removing the distance between them and kissed him.

Elissa never had much “practice” when it came to kissing. She had been kissed once in her life before becoming a warden; It was after Ser Gilmore had began training her in the basics of combat. It happened quickly and she blamed the heat of the day and the adrenaline of fighting for how they ended up on the floor of the Armory, battling for dominance with completely different weapons.

However, kissing Zevran wasn’t a battle. It was soft and languid and yet felt just as passionate as her previous kiss. She could also feel the slight tug of his lips as he smiled during the kiss. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was pleased, or amused - and if it were the second she was inclined to be a little annoyed.

She pulled back to stop the kiss, but Zevran’s lips wandered to her cheek and neck. He ghosted over he skin so lightly that she let out a sigh of pleasure. His hands, which had been stationary on her neck and shoulders, moved separate directions now. One hand tangling itself in her hair, while the other caressed over her chest.

“We need to…” Elissa began breathlessly, her breath hitching when Zevran placed an open mouth kiss on her neck. 

“Hmmm?” He hummed against her skin, causing her to inhale sharply and forget her train of thought.

A sudden knock at the door made Elissa jump, nearly knocking the both of them over. Zevran caught her arms and Elissa shot out a surprised breath.

“Elissa?” It was Alistair.

Elissa blushed, feeling as though he could see through the door somehow. “Yes, Alistair?” She called back, her hands holding onto Zevran’s arms. The assassin now had a devilish smirk on his face, very much enjoying how his morning was going. He attempted to bury his head in her neck but she pushed him away, knowing she wouldn’t focus on what Alistair was saying if she let Zevran touch her.

“Bodahn has insisted that we leave for Denerim now - something about the weather and how he can feel it in his stones or something,” he laughed. “You willing to sacrifice a couple of relaxed hours to head towards our doom?”

Elissa glanced at Zevran, tempted to just ask for an hour more, but she knew better. Zevran shrugged, nonchalantly as if reading her train of thought.

“Yes. We’d best be off as soon as we can. I just need to get into my leathers and be right down,” she called out.

“Right,” Alistair acknowledged.

Elissa could hear his armor clink as he walked away from her room. When he looked back to Zevran, he was picking up her leather armor off the floor.

He stood and walked to her, holding out the armor. “Need any help dressing? I am told I am as good as any handmaiden,” he offered with a little tilt of his head and a grin. Always with the grinning.

Elissa smirked and grabbed the leathers from him. “Though not as virtuous, I’d wager.”

He brought a hand over his heart and gasped in false hurt, “Such accusations.”

Elissa rolled her eyes. “Go,” she said finally, waving towards the door. “We need to leave quickly, and that won’t happen with you in here.”

Zevran smirked. “As you wish,” he replied, taking one of her hands and kissing it. 

When he let go, he made for the door and quietly opened it. He looked around conspiratorially, before casually exiting her room. Elissa snorted a laugh, before closing the door behind him.


	5. Sleep

It had been weeks since the kiss, though Elissa hardly thought of it. Their travels towards Denerim had been slow due to the snow storms, and on top of that she was wasn’t getting much sleep. The Archdemon haunted her dreams, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified. Darkspawn were one thing, or many small things, and an Archdemon was another.

Elissa shuddered, as she remembered the ogres.

Her party had made camp in a secluded meadow, somehow untouched by the heavy snow storm that had seemed to follow them from Redcliffe. Morrigan had her raging fire up already, and Sten was, surprisingly, standing near her as he warmed himself. Elissa grinned at the sight.

Alistair and Wynne sat near the mage’s tent, where it seemed she was teaching him how to mend his own socks and shirts. Alistair looked more than a little frustrated, but he kept at it. Leliana was softly playing her lute, seemingly lost in the melody. Wrex sat by her, lulled to sleepy by the slow song.

The only part of her party she didn’t see was Zevran. It didn’t really worry her, as he was often sneaking about the camp making sure they weren’t being followed. That is, when he wasn’t sneaking lizards into Alistair’s boots.

Elissa sighed, feeling exhausted but knowing sleep wouldn’t grant her the peace she needed. Alistair said that being connected with the darkspawn took some getting used to, but she wasn’t sure she would ever get used to it. It made her feel like someone was poking around in her thoughts, invading her mind.

Deciding to at least _try_ to get some rest, she headed towards her tent. As she lifted a hand to open the flap, a low voice caught her attention.

“Retiring early tonight?” It was Zevran. He walked out from behind her tent, where the edge of the meadow met the forest.

He eyed her with concern, although his mouth was turned up in a smirk.

Elissa attempted a grin. She was pleased, as usual, to see him, however she wasn’t really up for flirting at the moment. “Yes,” she replied simply.

He walked close to her, looking serious. “What plagues you, my dear Warden?”

Elissa shook her head and crossed her arms, trying to downplay her exhaustion. “Nothing serious, I just haven’t been resting well. I thought I would try going to sleep early rather than take the first watch.”

Zevran nodded in understanding, and took a step towards her. “Perhaps I could provide assistance? No doubt you are sore from walking, and I have a great knowledge of how to unwind muscles. This could help you relax and sleep, no?”

Elissa thought about it for a moment, before uncrossing her arms and looking him over. “If you are offering a massage I’d be a fool to deny, but if you wish more…” She stumbled on her words, feeling embarrassed. “I cannot grant you that,” she said finally.

Zevran nodded, and didn’t seem put off by her words. “I only offer what will aid you.”

Elissa uncrossed her arms, and smiled tiredly at him. “Alright then.” She reached for her tent flap again, and ducked inside.

Zevran followed in after her, and she wondered briefly if anyone had noticed. She didn’t _really_ mind, but she also didn’t want her party to speculate on what the two of them were doing inside her tent.

Once they were both in the small confines of her tent, she also realized how long it had been since they had been in such close proximity. They were both on their knees facing each other, still in their leather armor, which only made it seem more cramped.

“Allow me,” Zevran finally whispered, breaking the silence. He reached for her hands, and began to pull off her worn leather gloves. Elissa watched him as he removed each article of her armor, placing it in a neat pile at the entryway of her tent. When she was left in her undershirt and leggings, he gestured to her furs that were sprawled across the floor. “Lie down.”

She did, slowly, as her muscles protested. Besides the obvious tension she carried, she was feeling nervous about Zevran being so close and knowing he fancied her. It made her feel like she was only 18 again; A blushing maiden, watching Ser Gilmore train in the courtyard before he would inevitably invite her to join him.

She propped her head on her hand and watched Zevran remove his own gloves and leather armor with such grace she wondered if she was imagining it. When he caught her staring, he smirked, and tore at one of his pauldron ties with his teeth. Elissa giggled.

Once he was down to just his shirt and leather leggings, he gestured for her to roll over. “I shall start with your back.”

Elissa obliged and turned over, resting her head on her upper arms. She closed her eyes when she felt Zevran’s hands at her shoulder blades, brushing her hair out of the way. When he pressed down at the muscles near her neck, she groaned at the pain.

“Tsk tsk, my lady,” he spoke lowly. “Your muscles are like rocks.”

“Makes sleeping on the ground a lot easier,” she quipped.

Zevran scoffed. “Taking care of one’s body is essential to the kind of business we’re in,” he insisted.

Elissa couldn’t help her playful response, “And what business is that?”

“Killing while looking extremely attractive.”

She laughed for a moment before groaning again when Zevran dug his elbow along her spine.

“When did you have time to learn this?” She asked, though it came out more like a whine.

He chuckled. “An assassin must know all the ways to get close to their target, Elissa,” he purred her name in her ear.

Elissa opened her eyes, meeting his gaze as he pulled his face away from her’s. His gaze was heavy, challenging. She decided not to take the bait, just yet, and closed her eyes again.

“And so, with the brief relief you grant me, I shall die,” she sighed dramatically as she arched her back while stretched under his hands.

Zevran smirked and dragged his hands along her waist. “It won’t be brief, I assure you.”

Elissa shivered involuntarily and he let his hands slide over her clothing as she turned to her side to face him. He sat up on his knees and leaned over her, trapping her under his arms. Elissa turned fully onto her back and gazed up at him.

“And very thorough,” he promised.

He closed the distance between them capturing her lips in a slow, but deep, kiss. It drew an involuntary moan from Elissa, and she brought her hands to his upper arms to anchor him above her.

As they kissed, Zevran carefully shifted himself between her legs and lowered his weight onto her. He encompassed her senses making Elissa feel slightly lightheaded, though that may have been due to the lack of oxygen. She broke the kiss and moved her attention to his neck. He mimicked her, however his attentions had more of a purpose. She knew he was going to leave marks.

“Eager, are we?” She teased breathlessly.

“ _Mmm_ ,” was his reply, muffled by her own skin.

The vibrations from his voice caused her hips to grind against his. Zevran attempted to chuckle at her eagerness, but his breath was caught when her hands slid to his shoulders and her fingertips dug into them. He made to kiss her lips with more haste, but Elissa moved one hand to his jaw to caress it and slowed the pace with her mouth.

They stayed close to each other, just exploring each other’s mouths for what seemed like hours until finally they broke apart. Elissa kept her eyes shut as she regained her breath, while her hands caressed his chest. Zevran was breathing heavily in her ear, before he finally rolled over next to her.

When Elissa finally opened her eyes and found Zevran gazing at her with an expression that lacked his usual charm.

“What is it?” She whispered, bringing a hand up to her face brush back a stray hair.

Zevran finally smirked at her actions and batted her hand away. “Nothing, my dear Warden. I’m simply admiring my handiwork.”

Elissa grinned, closing her eyes again as she felt herself flush at his words.

“Mmm, better than a painting,” he purred, turning over so he could kiss her neck again.

“I think,” Elissa began breathlessly, as she brought her hand to his jaw. “I’ll sleep wonderfully tonight.”

Zevran hummed and pulled away from her. “Shall I go?”

“No,” replied she, wrapping her arms around his torso to pull him back to her. “I think I may need someone to warm my bed. It’s so very cold tonight,” she coaxed.

“As my Warden wishes.”

He smiled at her genuinely, and Elissa found herself enjoying it more than when he smirked. She released him as reached towards the foot of the bedroll and brought her blankets up to cover them. When he relaxed back down next to her, she scooted up to him, pushing him so he would lie on his side so she could spoon him.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and let out a sigh of contentment. The was a moment where all he did was breathe carefully, then he brought his hands to where her’s were and clasped them cautiously. Elissa smiled into his hair and let her eyes drift shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is took forever to finish, mainly because I couldn't decide if I wanted it to end with smut or not. However, I do like where it ended up going, even if it did end up more fluffy than I originally intended.


End file.
